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What Can my Hangovers Tell Me About my Drinking?

Everyone hates hangovers.  The headaches, nausea, fatigue, and anxiety often experienced after a night of heavy drinking can range from moderately irritating, to so severe you are forced to miss work.  While these symptoms are usually associated with the morning after a binge, in some cases they can persist for up to 48 hours. For those that have created a habit of binge drinking, meaning more than three drinks in one sitting for women or more than four drinks for men, hangovers symptoms can seem to become worse with time.  While many of us attribute terrible hangovers to age, the reason behind worsening reactions to heavy alcohol use tends to be more complicated. You may remember drinking heavily when you were younger, and yet still being able to get up and go to work or school the next day with only a slight headache that was gone by the afternoon.  There is a lack of research on hangovers and how they change over time, but by understanding substance abuse and addiction we can better understand why hangovers seem to get much worse throughout our drinking years.  Even though you might remember drinking in excess when you were younger, it is likely that you are actually consuming more alcohol in one sitting now. Even by drinking heavily just once a week, over the course of years you will build a tolerance and require more alcohol to create the same effect.  Increased alcohol consumption means more dehydration, which is the root cause of physical hangover symptoms.   Severe hangovers can interfere with your life by disrupting your job performance, altering your mood, and causing you to miss out on activities you are too sick to participate in.  Unfortunately, for those battling an addiction to alcohol, hangovers can feel like a chronic illness. If your hangovers are so severe that you are often unable to function after a night of heavy drinking, yet you are unable to stop, that is a clear indication that it is time to seek help.

At Arbor Behavioral Healthcare, you will meet knowledgeable, compassionate professionals that understand addiction in all its forms.  The Arbor uses an integrative and holistic approach to treat addiction and mental health issues. No treatment is one-size-fits-all, and at The Arbor you will have a team of experts prepared to create your customized treatment plan.  We offer care for your mind, body, and spirit, so that you can heal from the inside out and look forward to a lifetime of sobriety and wellness. If you are ready to take the first step in your recovery, please call us at 844-413-2690.